The Attack on Red River Base
by GunSniper64
Summary: While Van and Fiona are away on vaca, it's up to R.Herman, K.Schubaltz, Irvine, Moonbay, Dr.Dee, and O'Connell to figure out who is planning on attacking Red River Base before its too late- Pairings: I/M, V/F, slight O'C/R.H., and one-sided Dr.Dee/M.Pre
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: HELLOOOOO ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY STILL WATCHES OR REMEMBERS ZOIDS! I am known as GunSniper64, Zoids is my favorite anime, and I have another account on ff under a different username, anyone who figures it out will get a cookie! I DO NOT OWN ZOIDS, THE CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ANIME! Ok so this story is a romance/action/mystery one and it focuses around the pairings of Moonbay/Irvine, Van/Fiona, one-sided Dr. Dee/Madame President, and slight O'Connell/Rob Herman. This story is rated T for language, slight actiony sequences, and slight making out. BEFORE YOU EVEN ASK: I have NO IDEA when in the series this story is supposed to take place, but definitely during Guardian Force and before Hiltz is destroyed. Anyone who doesn't like fluff or zoids, you are wasting your time reading this! With that please enjoy "The Attack on Red River Base", and please please _please _remember to review at the end!**

**Chapter One**

Captain O'Connell was tired of being the lackey. Why did he always have to run errands or get Major Herman coffee? Why was he the one always being picked on for sentry duty or keeping watch over the latest model zoids? It wasn't fair. He knew he could do better than what he was assigned to do. He was a captain now for Zi's sake! Even the officers under him got higher pay! Although he would never voice his complaints out loud. He had much admiration for Major Herman and should his commanding officer catch wind of his complaints, O'Connell was afraid he might lose the major's respect. So, there he stood, lazily perched on the balcony of one of the upper areas that overlooked the hanger where the new zoids were kept, protected from the outside world.

Suddenly, O'Connell got a call on his radio, and Major Herman's voice echoed through the hanger.

"O'Connell, I need your assistance with something, would you please come to my office immediately?" Herman's voice sounded slightly scratchy over the phone.

'_Probably needs a fresh cup of coffee,'_ O'Connell thought to himself as he sighed and took off towards his commanding officer's office.

After knocking on the door, and receiving a croaky, "Come in", O'Connell hesitantly opened up the door and walked into the office closing the door behind him. Once inside however, he was tempted to run back into the hallway screaming for help.

Major Rob Herman's eyes had dark shadows under them, the coffee pot was completely empty, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes looked dull and exhausted. He sat at his desk with his head resting on his folded hands.

"O'Connell," his voice croaked out before he cleared his throat and tried again. "O'Connell, I need coffee."

"S-sir! W-what happened to you? You look like hell!" O'Connell stuttered as he quickly rushed up to his commander.

As he helped Herman sit back against his chair, O'Connell heard the major's back crack.

"Sir, I think you need medical attention," O'Connell began before Herman waved a hand at him.

"No time for that, captain. The recruitment has begun and I've been up all night checking over the files of the enlisted, making sure that there are no criminal reports or anything out of the normal. I need to hand in the list of the new officers to Colonel Krueger before noontime so he can give it the OK."

"But sir, you need to rest! You will pass out if you don't," O'Connell said quickly as he removed the empty coffee pot as Herman went to grab it. "I'm sorry sir, but if you drink anymore coffee your colon might explode."

"O'Connell, give me my coffee before I demote you," Herman said as his eyes never left the empty coffee pot and his voice hardened.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have to disobey that command in order to ensure your health," O'Connell stated as he locked the coffee pot and mug in a cabinet to which only he had the key.

Herman sighed as his head fell back against the chair. "I swear O'Connell; you are the most stubborn captain I have ever had to deal with."

O'Connell smiled. "Thank you, sir. But you still are not getting more coffee."

Herman laughed but then his eyes closed as his sides burst with pain. O'Connell was at his side in an instant.

"Major, you should retire to your quarters and rest and relax. I will contact Colonel Krueger and inform him of the situation. Sir, should an attack befall this base, you will not be fit enough to lead your men into battle. You don't want to let us down, do you sir?" O'Connell's eyes locked with Herman's.

As Herman grew silent, O'Connell put a hand on his shoulder. "If you will excuse the formalities for a moment, sir, as a friend I am asking you to please put these reports aside and take the day off or to at least get a few hours of rest."

Herman's face took on one of absolute seriousness as he asked, "If the base were to be attacked right now, captain, and you were the commanding officer of this base, would you want your men to see you sleeping on the job? No, you would want to be as strong as possible, even if your entire body feels as if it is ready to break. I will not rest until these reports are finished."

They stared at each other for a long time before O'Connell sighed and smiled.

"And you call me stubborn."

Herman smirked at that and O'Connell saluted and made as if to exit the room before stopping at the door. Turning his head slightly towards his superior officer, he smirked, "Oh, and sir?"

"Yes O'Connell?"

"Don't try to pick the lock of the cabinet with a paperclip. You will scratch the lock and I only have one key."

And with that, O'Connell exited the room as he left a speechless major behind.

Moonbay sighed as she leaned against the cockpit of her Gustav. It was a slow day. She hadn't been given any orders from either the Empire or the Republic to deliver anything, so basically it was a free day for her. She hated free days when there was nobody to spend them with. Van and Fiona were off on some romantic getaway and Irvine…Irvine. Moonbay sighed. She hadn't seen the ex-mercenary in _ages_! Though she admitted to say it, she was starting to miss his charm and badass attitude. He was always good for a laugh or drink and he was an excellent fighter. However, he had vanished from Red River Base without a good-bye.

"Typical," Moonbay complained as she opened up the lid of the cockpit and jumped out. "He's never around when I need him."

Just then Captain O'Connell rounded the corner and Moonbay smiled.

"Hey, O'Connell! You look a little upset," she observed as O'Connell slumped against the Gustav.

"It's Major Herman. He hasn't gotten much sleep in days and I had to lock up the coffee pot in a cabinet so he doesn't overdose from the caffeine."

Moonbay smirked. "Wouldn't that much coffee make him hyper?"

"You would think that, but you would be mistaken. He has the bloodstream of a tortoise. It takes a while before the caffeine kicks in," O'Connell said with a sigh.

Moonbay clapped him on the shoulder. "What he needs is a woman's touch to get him away from work."

O'Connell raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Have you tried giving him a massage or something to relax his muscles?"

O'Connell glared at her. "Listen woman, I do not perform the lowly tasks of a girl! Though I wish that he would get better soon, it would not be appropriate for me to perform such an action!" His face softened a little with consideration. "Although I do want him to relax..."

Moonbay put on a huge grin. "Then it's settled! Get in there and show your commanding officer some R&R. Now get going captain before he doubles the work pile!"

As she gave him a shove, she watched his turquoise head of hair disappear around the corner before giggling to herself.

"With this set of female brains, it's a wonder why I am not a captain too."

"Maybe because you are no good at following orders unless there is money involved," a voice said smoothly.

Moonbay spun around and looked up to see Irvine sitting lazily on the top of her Gustav. She couldn't help the joy that filler her voice

"Irvine! How long have you been up there?"

His eyes were closed but she saw the smirk.

"Long enough to hear your conversation with O'Connell. He sure is devoted to Herman, isn't he?"

"Of course he is! He is Major Herman's friend and is there for Herman when the guy needs it. And right now Herman could use all the help he can get. Which is more than I can say about some people," she added with a glare towards the man sitting atop her zoid.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Irvine asked as he tilted on his side, his biceps flexing with his movements.

'_Look at those biceps. They could poke somebody's eye out,'_ Moonbay thought to herself as she looked into his eyes.

"At least O'Connell is there for Herman. Where have you been? It gets lonely here you know without any jobs to do or Fiona, Van, and Zeke to joke around with."

Irvine shrugged. "I've had places to go. Not my problem that you are grounded here."

"_Grounded_? Who said I was grounded? I can leave whenever I want to!" Moonbay shouted stubbornly.

"Then why are you still here?" Irvine asked her with a grin.

Moonbay looked away from him as she fumed silently.

Irvine's smirk grew as he slid down from the top of the Gustav to stand before Moonbay. He gave her a look-over. Her hair and clothes were normal but…was that lip gloss and eye liner she had on?

"Since when do you wear make-up?" Irvine asked her.

"Since when do you care?" she retorted, raising her eyebrow.

The faintest blush came to Irvine's face and he responded coolly, "It's not that I care, I was just making an observation."

"Why are you here, Irvine?" Moonbay asked him tiredly and changing the subject.

He looked into her eyes and said simply, "The same reason you are. Something is going to happen at this base pretty soon and if it means I can get a score then I'm staying right here and so are you."

"Is that the only reason you're here?" Moonbay asked before she could keep her mouth shut.

Blushing as Irvine looked at her inquisitively, Moonbay's mind sent off alarm sirens but she didn't break his gaze, instead trying to play it cool.

Irvine waved his head slightly and shook away a stray piece of brown hair that had been in his eyes.

"I'm still here because I have a prize to win."

"Is it always about money with you?" Moonbay asked, subconsciously taking a step closer to him, her voice softening to a whisper.

Irvine could feel his breath catch in his throat. Normally Moonbay was a lot more shielding of her personal emotions but now he could tell she had let her guard down around him. Now he had two choices – take advantage of it, or avoid the situation. He decided to do both.

"And what about you? The only time I find you anywhere of importance are when there are transportations to be completed, or cash to be collected. Face it, Moonbay, you're just like me."

Moonbay's heart skipped a little beat as she realized they were less than a foot of distance away from one another.

"You're wrong," she whispered to him.

Suddenly Irvine gave her a wink, turned away from her, and began walking away calling over his shoulder, "It's not always about money, 'Bay."

Van sighed happily as he lay back against the hammock gently swaying in the breeze.

"Now this is what I call a vacation," he grinned as he lay next to Fiona on the hammock. "A gentle breeze, great company, and no wars or battles to be fought. It was certainly nice of Major Herman to grant us this vacation time before we are called back out to fight any enemies."

Fiona nodded with a smile as she gazed up at the clear blue sky from next to Van. Zeke was happily chasing a butterfly nearby. A few moments of silence stretched before Fiona asked, "Van?"

"Yes Fiona?" Van asked turning to face her.

Her blonde hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She wore a light blue headband, shorts, and a white and pink striped tank-top, a change from her normal attire.

"I was just wondering…do you think everyone will be ok back at the base? What if it gets attacked and we aren't there to help," Fiona said worriedly.

"You worry too much," Van said lightly as he leaned over to face her. Smiling, he looked into her eyes. She really did have the most beautiful eyes ever as Thomas never failed to tell him. "I'm sure they can handle whatever decides to attack. And if anything should happen then they can easily send a message to the Liger, and he will call us. Herman won't let the base fall no matter who decides to attack."

Currently Herman was plotting how to hang himself with a long string of extra chewy gum when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Calling out for the person to enter, O'Connell stepped in and Herman could've thrown praises at the Captain.

"O'Connell! Please tell me you have come back to relieve my suffering and hand me a delicious pot of your delectable coffee," Herman begged as his eyes sent cries for help to the lieutenant.

O'Connell shut the door behind him and walked past the desk soundlessly to stand behind the major.

"Captain?" Herman asked cautiously.

"Close your eyes, keep your head back, and relax, sir," O'Connell said his voice tight with resentment towards a certain Gustav pilot for forcing him to do this. "I'm going to relieve your suffering hopefully by giving you a massage."

There was silence before Herman burst out laughing.

"O'Connell, as much as I appreciate your…tactics towards the current situation, I assure you that you do not have to do this," Herman laughed as he wiped away a tear.

"Sir, with all due respect, please be quiet," O'Connell said gently but forcefully as he moved his hands to the man's shoulders.

"Captain, as much as I appreciate your wanting to help me, I don't think a simple massage will –"

Herman was cut off as O'Connell's hands slowly rubbed his shoulders, relieving the tension. Herman let out a sigh he didn't know he had been holding back and O'Connell smiled.

"Feel better?"

Herman nodded and for the first time in a while, he let himself relax while the captain massaged Herman's shoulders, then biceps, then upper back, and finally, with his sweet smile, stepped back, and tilted his head.

"Did I help, sir?"

Herman looked at his subordinate with a somewhat dazed look. "Where did you learn to massage like that, soldier?"

O'Connell felt his face redden a little under the praise as he responded, "Army training. They taught us how to help relieve pain in times of distress, and learning how to give massages was part of our training."

Herman tried not to laugh at the image of a younger O'Connell's face when he realized he would have to learn how to give massages to survive.

"Sir? Can I ask you something?" O'Connell wondered hesitantly.

"Anything, Captain," Herman replied.

"Will you please put an end to the reports for today and at least take a nap or something?"

Herman sighed and shook his head before standing up and stretching.

"Captain, you have healed me of all physical pain, and because you have healed me I should repay the favor. I will put an end to your worrying for now, for I know you will never be worry-free. If you will leave me and alert all the men to not bother me, I shall take a nap."

O'Connell's smile grew huge as his head nodded hastily.

"O-of course sir! I will personally see to it that nobody bothers you! Enjoy your rest, sir!" O'Connell saluted and was out of the office in an instant. Herman sat down with a smile as he looked out his office window at the base below him.

'_He's a good man, that O'Connell.'_


	2. Chapter 2: Feelings Unraveled

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, sorry if it started out kind of slow, but I hope you enjoy this one more!**

**Chapter Two: Feelings Unraveled**

"Who does he think he is? Stupid showoff mercenary thinks he is the greatest thing in the world, well he's not. He's an ass for toying with an innocent girl's affections," Moonbay muttered angrily as she stormed off to where her room was.

She had been granted a small prison-sized bedroom with a small bed, a miniature bathroom, and a window that overlooked the desert. Next to the bed was an old and ratty cabinet which she had put her extra clothes in. Most of her belongings, however, were safely packed away in her Gustav.

Flopping down on the bed and hearing the springs squeak, she sat up on the bed and looked out the window. Her thoughts trailed back to Irvine. The way he had been lazily perched on top of her Gustav and then the way he jumped down – it was almost graceful like a cat. Hmm…Irvine the kitty.

Moonbay giggled at the thought as a voice said from the open doorway, "What's so funny?"

She turned to look at her visitor and smiled as she saw Dr. Dee standing in the doorway.

"Hey Gramps! What are you doing here?"

Dr. Dee shrugged as he leaned against the doorframe lazily. "I had a hunch that it would be better if I was here. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen and you know me, I hate to miss the chance to miss something good."

Moonbay chuckled as she nodded.

Dr. Dee gestured to the open room. "Well are you going to invite me in or is an old man like me supposed to wait out in the hallway?"

Moonbay rolled her eyes as he closed the door behind him and entered the room. There was silence before Dr. Dee smirked.

"I saw you with Mr. Spunk before."

Moonbay sighed. "You must be talking about Irvine."

"Who else?" he laughed. "You looked pretty red when you let your guard down."

Moonbay's face grew red as she remembered the incident, but when she went to respond, the man sighed.

"I don't try to understand young love these days; I've had enough of it myself. However, I am not blind to it either. I saw it with Fiona and Van and I see it with you and Irvine. And don't try to deny it because that would be crazy!"

Moonbay looked him in the eyes. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first couple times I saw you two together. All that bickering you two would do meant nothing when you two were separated for long periods of time. I remember one time when he went off to go do some thievery activity, and you stayed behind. You couldn't sit still for more than five minutes without looking at the spot where the Lightning Saix had been parked, waiting for him to return." Dr. Dee chuckled at this as Moonbay's eyes looked down at the floor.

"You won't tell him, will you Gramps?"

Dr. Dee tried to hold back a laugh before bursting. When Moonbay threw a pillow at him he sobered up. "Sorry, it just struck me as funny. Of course I won't tell anyone, my dear…on one condition."

Moonbay raised an eyebrow and the doctor's grin grew as he closed his eyes.

"Help me win the heart of the Madame President."

Major Karl Schubaltz drummed his fingers against the controls of his Iron Kong as the zoid entered the Red River Base. Since the Empire and the Republic had joined forces to form the Guardian Force, Major Rob Herman had created a treaty between the two forces. However, Herman had informed Schubaltz that he had a feeling that an attack on the base would be coming soon, and Herman and his feelings were never wrong. Except for that time where he had thought a cake was filled with chocolate when it was really solidified oil, but that was a story for another time. Herman had said that because Hiltz or Raven hadn't attacked in a while, they were probably planning some big attack…and what better place to attack than a base? Especially Red River, which was one of the places where the Guardian Force members were normally found around. Van, the best Guardian Force fighter both sides had, was currently on vacation, so that left just Thomas, but both Karl and Herman knew that having Thomas help out probably wasn't the best idea. In Karl's eyes Thomas was an excellent fighter but he was a bit…immature, especially when it came to love. Fiona was in love with Van, that much was obvious, but Karl's little brother just wouldn't accept it.

Karl sighed. He would need to have a talking to with Thomas when this whole "surprise attack" was over with. Maybe Hiltz knew that Van was away from the base so that would be why he would plan on attacking Red River…_if_ Hiltz was the one planning the attacks.

After giving clearance of his name to the security guards, Karl piloted the Iron Kong to where an empty hanger had been left for the Empire zoids. He still wasn't sure on what exactly Major Herman wanted his help with, but he figured he would get some answers from the major soon enough. Jumping out of the cockpit, Karl landed swiftly and looked around as he saw Captain O'Connell waving to him from the entrance to the hanger.

When O'Connell drew close, the men saluted each other in greeting.

"Good to see you again, captain. What's the status?" Karl asked.

"Good to see you, too, sir. Unfortunately, Major Herman was not expecting you until tomorrow and he has not been feeling well so he took the day off to rest up for any oncoming battles ahead. However, I will have some officers escort you and your men to the rooms we have saved for you, if you would like."

"It would be much appreciated, thank you," Karl said as he turned to face his small army of about thirty men. "Men, Major Herman has prepared several rooms for all of you. There will be two men per room so that we don't take advantage of the Republic's hospitality. Make sure your zoids are settled down and accounted for, and then report to your rooms."

The men saluted as a unit and then fell out to follow the Republican soldiers who led them to their rooms. There was still some bitterness between the Republican and Imperial soldiers, but Karl wasn't worried. He knew that if the time came for battle against an enemy to both sides, that both nations of soldiers would come together to fight alongside one another.

Major Schubaltz turned to face O'Connell. "I saw a Lightning Saix and a Gustav parked in another hanger. I take it that Irvine and Moonbay are here as well?"

O'Connell nodded. "Yes, sir. They arrived here a few days ago. Would you like me to go find them?"

Karl shook his head. "No, that's quite alright. I will bother them later. You are dismissed to go back to your duties, captain. Thank you for all that you and your men have done around here."

"Thank you for coming, sir," O'Connell saluted with a smile before making his way out of the hanger.

Karl watched him go with a faint smile.

'_He's a good man, that O'Connell.'_

Irvine sat atop of his Lightning Saix, watching as the Imperial soldiers led by Major Schubaltz made their way past the extra hanger into one of the main ones. _'They got the older Schubaltz here which means that Herman knows something or one is going to attack us. And it probably isn't going to be any small enemy, if they plan on using both Imperial and Republic soldiers and zoids.'_

Irvine turned his head as he heard somebody approaching from the shadows. Adjusting the lens of his eye patch, he saw the slim figure of Moonbay quickly slinking towards her Gustav. Irvine watched as she hopped into her zoid and began fidgeting with the controls. Raising an eyebrow, Irvine decided to take a chance to get closer and try to figure out what she was doing to ease his boredom. Stealthily, he crept down from the Saix, snuck up and around the Gustav, climbed up to the top of the zoid, and slowly lowered himself down the front. He perched above the cockpit, and just found himself watching her.

She had her head rested lazily against the headrest while her slender fingers tapped at the controls, doing some scans of the command system. Irvine could see her eyes in the reflection of the cockpit staring intently at the controls. Her chocolate orbs held him captivated for a few moments as his mind floated back to the events of earlier that day. How his heartbeat had sped up when she had stepped so close to him. How he had been able to smell the faint scent of flowers on her. How it had been so hard not to push her against the Gustav and kiss her.

…

Irvine blinked and shook his head. He hadn't meant that. Honestly. Although he had thought about what it would be like to kiss her glossy lips…Irvine nearly slapped himself. He couldn't be falling for Moonbay, it just wasn't practical. She was of a higher standard and nature than him. She deserved someone better than him and yet…the way she had let her guard down with him before. He had never seen her get that nervous or open before, not with McMann or anybody else. Irvine knew she had loved McMann, but she had left him and he had moved on. Now, she was a free woman, although Irvine knew she always would be. As hard as he tried, he could never picture her settled down with a husband or anything. Which was fine with him, he didn't want to settle down either.

…

Not that he wanted to think of settling down with Moonbay or anything although the idea did seem pleasant…Irvine slapped himself, muttering curses against his own stupidity just as Moonbay flung open the cockpit, stood up, crossed her arms, and glared at him.

"First you insult me and now you are stalking me? What's your problem, Irvine?"

He flinched at the tone in her voice, but before he could respond with some clever retort, Dr. Dee came almost running up to them.

"Hey, you two! Listen, Major Herman has an assignment that he needs you two to carry out."

"What kind of assignment, Gramps?" Moonbay asked; her hatred towards Irvine instantly redirected into curiosity at Dr. Dee.

"Rob wouldn't tell me the details, but you two are to go out to Dragon Head and have a look around. If the enemy is hiding nearby, they are probably there, and if we could just pinpoint them, then it would make our jobs much easier. You two will ride together in Irvine's Lightning Saix because it isn't recognized by either the Republic or the Empire and its fast so if you two need to get out quickly you can."

"Wait, why does Herman want _us_ to do this? Couldn't he send out some of the new lackeys that he just borrowed from the Empire?" Irvine asked suspiciously.

"He could, but let's be real, Irvine. Those soldiers would go out there and do everything strictly by the book, and following the book could get them killed. No, what Herman needs are two people who he can trust to complete this mission without screwing up…and since Van and Fiona aren't here, and Thomas is nowhere to be found, guess who he picked."

Irvine seemed to still be skeptical, so Dr. Dee added in cunningly, "There may be a reward if you find anything quickly…"

"We're up to the task, Doc!" Moonbay grinned as she grabbed Irvine by the arm and punched the air triumphantly.

Dr. Dee watched Moonbay drag an unsure Irvine to his zoid with humor. Of course the enemy wouldn't be at Dragon Head for that had become Republican territory, but Irvine didn't know that, and that was the important thing. This was simply going to be a mission to help Irvine realize his true feelings for Moonbay.

Dr. Dee remembered how he and Moonbay had sat in her room for almost two hours coming up with a plan for how to get her and Irvine alone. Then this brilliant plan, if he did say so himself, had sprung to mind. Now, there was only the issue of how he could win the heart of his beloved Madame President.

True, there was an age difference between the two, but nobody besides the Madame President and the doctor would ever really know, for they both looked rather on in the years. Dr. Dee had known her for a very long time and had always respected her with the highest regards, but he could tell that he was feeling something more than just mere friendship and respect for the woman now. Dr. Dee had never been married, but he knew enough about love, and he knew the emotion he was feeling for the Madame President. The only problem was that he didn't know if she felt the same way for him.

He let out a sigh as he heard somebody approach him from behind. The ways of love were so confusing.

"Dr. Dee, excuse me, sir," the very innocent and cheerful Captain O' Connell announced.

"Yes, yes, captain, what is it?" Dr. Dee sighed impatiently at being interrupted from his day-dreaming.

"Major Herman has just woken up from a well-deserved nap and he would like to discuss with you some plans in case this base is attacked."

"With all due respect, captain, Rob has been going on about an attack to this base for weeks now, and there hasn't been any action yet. Not even a single sleeper zoid coming into sight. Maybe he lost his brains along with the lack of sleep."

"Dr. Dee –" O'Connell began but Dr. Dee waved him off.

"I'll go voice my opinions to Rob himself, but answer me one question, captain. What do you think of all this waiting around?"

"I stand by whatever my commanding officer believes will happen, sir. He has much more experience in combat than I do, and I respect and will follow his orders until the day I die."

Dr. Dee smiled at this and mock-applauded. "You really are nothing but soldier blood and bones, are you, O'Connell?"

"I have been raised to follow the orders of those above me; even I do not personally agree with the orders. However, Major Herman has shown me the true meaning of being a soldier and a zoid pilot. I am dedicated to him and the cause of the Republic." O'Connell's voice softened a little bit as he said quietly, "I only hope he knows that should he ever need my personal help in a situation, I will be right there at his side to give it."

"Strong words from a man who has personal affections for his commanding officer," Dr. Dee speculated. "You and Rob are close friends, correct?"

"A soldier and his commanding officer should only treat each other in the ways of duty and conduct –" O'Connell was yet again interrupted as Dr. Dee cut in, waving off the captain's words.

"I am aware of the rules, O'Connell, but it's obvious to me and your fellow peers that you and the major hold a special friendship built on loyalty, trust, and honesty. Your devotion to him as a friend and a soldier will prove valuable in battle one day."

Dr. Dee looked the captain in the eye, before letting out a grand laugh and walking away from the stunned captain.

O'Connell stood there for a moment, wondering what the doctor had meant by that last sentence before he turned and walked away, not noticing Major Herman, who had been standing behind a nearby zoid listening in on the conversation with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3: Love is in the Air

**A/N: Here's chapter three! Sorry this one is so short...**

**Chapter Three**

"Irvine, you're going too fast, I'm going to throw up!" Moonbay shouted as she tried to hit him but was thrown back against the backseat.

"Just relax, 'Bay, and get used to it. Dragon Head isn't much farther away. Remind me again why I agreed to let you drag me on this stupid search mission?"

"Because the doctor promised a reward if we find anything worth mentioning to the major," Moonbay smirked as she struggled to lean forward and rest her chin on Irvine's shoulder.

She could feel the muscles in Irvine's shoulder move as he adjusted the controls of the Lightning Saix with his hands. Marveling for the millionth time how muscular he was, Moonbay let out a dreamy sigh which tickled Irvine's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Irvine's voice brought her back to their current situation.

"If you'll stop day-dreaming, we are coming up to the bridge. It looks like they removed the sentry post."

"They probably took it away because now that the Republic and the Empire have reached a treaty, several of the posts that had been there before have now been removed," Moonbay replied lazily as she leaned back against her seat again with a blush at being caught day-dreaming. "Hey Irvine…"

"Yeah?" he asked her, never removing his eyes from the window in front of him.

"What did you mean when you said how it's not always about money with you?"

Irvine knew she had been going to ask him this sooner or later, but now that the question was voiced aloud, he wasn't sure how to answer her, so he just kept quiet.

"Oh come on, I know you meant something by it," Moonbay retorted to his silence as she leaned forward again, straining against the seat belts. "What did you mean by it?"

"What did you mean when you nearly kissed me?" Irvine shot back as he turned his head just slightly to glance at her.

Below him, the Lightning Saix sent out a growl of laughter at Moonbay's blush.

"I-I meant nothing, because I didn't kiss you!" Moonbay stuttered as she went to slap him.

Irvine dodged and couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, like when you got really close to me and you let your guard down in front of me." Irvine turned around in his seat, letting the Lightning Saix take control for a minute. "Face it, 'Bay, you're head over heels for me. Even with McMann you never let your guard down."

Moonbay wasn't sure if she wanted to slap that smirk off his face, or kiss him. However, the blush on her face and the coldness in her eyes at being found out gave her away.

Irvine mentally told the Lightning Saix to come to a halt on the bridge as he turned around fully in his chair to tower over her, awaiting her response.

Moonbay glared at him and said coldly, "I never let my guard down. Not for you, McMann, or anyone else. And I sure as hell couldn't love a cold-hearted bastard like you. The only thing that concerns you, Irvine, is where to get your next big score!"

"_Oh really._ Is that how you think I feel about you, Moonbay?" His voice had grown quieter but harder as his bangs covered his eyes. "Do you really think I think of you as some prize to be won?"

"I'm not sure, do you?" she asked him, nearly letting her guard down again as her voice softened and she looked up into his eyes.

Irvine was tempted to just reach down and pull her lips up to meet his in a passionate kiss, but a growl from the Lightning Saix woke him of his day-dream. Irately, Irvine spun around to face the front in his chair again, slamming his back against the seat as he grabbed the controls.

"You're an idiot," he whispered to Moonbay as he sped the zoid faster towards Dragon Head.

"I'm an idiot? _**I'm**__ an __**idiot**__?_" Moonbay shouted as she was thrown back against the seat as the Lightning Saix took off faster than before. "Of all the lowlifes I have met over the years, you have to be the most insufferable, most disrespectful, the biggest dense idiot on the entire planet! Apparently deciding to leave McMann for your sorry ass was the biggest mistake of my life!"

"What are you talking about?" Irvine asked through gritted teeth as the controls bucked under his hands. At the speed they were going, he was sure to lose control.

"You haven't even figured it out yet?" Moonbay cried as she gripped the sides of the Lightning Saix for support. "I said no to remaining behind with McMann the second time not just because I wanted to go on adventures with you, Van, and the rest of the crew, but because I had realized how much I couldn't stay away from you! You are worse than any drug out there, and you have no idea how I feel about you!"

"What feelings?" Irvine shouted roughly. "The only feelings you have ever felt for me are ones of annoyance, or ignorance! You've never admired my zoid piloting skills, and you certainly have never told me congrats or anything after all the battles I have won or people I have saved!"

"You dumbass idiot! Of course I never told you out loud because I knew the second I did I would want nothing more than to kiss you and tell you how much I –" she was cut off as the alarm systems began going off.

"Saix, what's going on?" Irvine yelled. The zoid growled in response, letting the pilot know that he wasn't sure.

"Irvine, you're losing control, stop this thing now!" Moonbay screamed as the controls began freezing and the zoid sped faster.

"I-I can't!" Irvine shouted.

The controls of the zoid were freezing because Irvine was losing control of both himself and the zoid. His mind was racing between trying to register all that Moonbay had told him and how to regain control of the zoid. The Lightning Saix tried to slow down but it couldn't. Something wasn't right. Below the cockpit, Irvine heard something snap and the Saix yelped in response as the screen flashed warnings from all around Irvine.

"Irvine, you need to calm down!" Moonbay suddenly exclaimed. "The Lightning Saix responds to your thought pattern! If you don't control yourself then we'll crash!"

Irvine didn't respond. His vision was going fuzzy and he could feel his consciousness slipping away.

Suddenly Moonbay had an idea. Struggling against the force of the speed, Moonbay grabbed the chair in front of her, and managed to pull herself up. There was just enough space between the pilot's chair and the side of the cockpit for Moonbay to maneuver herself.

"Moonbay…what…the hell…are you…doing?" Irvine managed through gritted teeth.

The Lightning Saix had climbed up the side of a cliff and was speeding towards another cliff with about a fifty yard gap between the two ledges.

"I'm doing…what I know…how to …to calm…you…down…" Moonbay spat as she managed to climb through the gap between the walls of the inside of the cockpit and Irvine's chair in order to straddle herself. Though she was blocking Irvine's view entirely, she knew it would only last a minute, so she did what she had been longing to do for years.

She kissed him.

As her lips made contact with Irvine's roughly, Irvine felt his grip on the controls loosen as his brain focused on the kiss.

Her lips were soft and glossy and utterly delicious. Irvine had never tasted anything like her before. His heart began pumping so fast he thought it might burst out of his chest and ride with the Lightning Saix, all sappiness aside. Suddenly, he could feel the Lightning Saix slowing down until it gradually reached a steady decent speed as the zoid retook control. The zoid skidded a little bit, but it stopped right by the edge of the cliff. As the Saix growled low in its throat a happy message of contentment that it hadn't crashed, its pilot had wrapped his arms around Moonbay, pulling her closer to him.

Moonbay's brain was sending off signals that the zoid had stopped so she could stop kissing Irvine, but the funny thing was, even though he had called her an idiot and had been totally ignorant of her feelings, she didn't want to stop kissing him. She had dreamed of this moment, and because of her stubbornness, she wasn't about to let it end.

His lips were rough as if he had cut or bit them too hard before and they had split open previously. He tasted like oranges, Moonbay noted as her hands ran over his muscular chest, feeling his speeding heartbeat.

Irvine's left hand cupped her face and held her lips captured with his while his free hand slowly slid up and down her sides. Moonbay couldn't help but purr against his lips, sending vibrations through Irvine, turning him on.

Suddenly the Lightning Saix jumped up in the air, nearly sending Moonbay flying through the window, but Irvine grabbed her and pulled her to his chest as the Lightning Saix landed from his hop.

'_What the hell's the matter with you?'_ Irvine thought to the zoid.

'_The matter with me? What's the matter with you?'_ the Lightning Saix growled back. _'I thought you hated this girl.'_

'_Hate her? No, you…you have it all wrong,'_ Irvine thought back as he looked into Moonbay's confused eyes. "She's always been there for me. Just I was too stupid and ignorant to realize it. Whenever I needed somebody there, she was there. She…she's always supported me and when my old Command Wolf died, she stood by me. I just took her for granted; I never even thought to consider how she felt." Irvine realized he had said this aloud as Moonbay's eyes grew wide.

"Moonbay," Irvine voiced as he cleared his throat. "You're right. There are some things in life that are more important than money such as friendship and…and love. You give me both yet I haven't realized how much I want to give you both in return until now." He blushed slightly as he continued; "I…I know I've never been the greatest at voicing my feelings or any of that shit, but Moonbay…" he trailed off as his eyes met hers.

Moonbay went to ask him what it was he was feeling when suddenly warnings started flashing on the screens again.

"Enemies? So Herman was right!" Irvine exclaimed as he looked around Moonbay and reached out to the controls. He maximized the screen and saw that a small group of three Hell Cats and a Gordos coming up on them from a little ways away.

"Moonbay, I need you to get back to your seat only so that I can wipe these guys out quickly," Irvine said as he prepared the Saix for battle.

Moonbay nodded in accordance and climbed into the back but not before asking him, "And then will you tell me what you were going to say?"

Irvine smiled and nodded.

"Definitely."

Major Karl Schubaltz was not one to enjoy just waiting around for some unknown enemy to attack the base. So he decided to bluntly ignore Captain O'Connell's advice to stay away from Major Herman and go bug the blonde. As he reached the man's office, Karl knocked before allowing himself entrance to the office. Inside sat Dr. Dee and Rob Herman in heavy discussion. Both men looked up as Karl entered the room.

"Major Schubaltz, welcome to Red River Base," Rob said as the two men shook hands after saluting.

"It's a pleasure to be here, sir. Captain O'Connell informed me that you had been resting earlier. I gather you got enough rest?" Karl quipped as he turned to face Dr. Dee. "Hello, doctor, what are you doing here?"

"Hello Major; I was asked to come here because 1 I have nothing else better to do and 2 Rob here thought my expertise could come in handy."

"Very good…Rob, do you honestly expect there to be an attack against this base? Even your own men doubt you. Maybe all this lack of sleep is getting to your head," Major Schubaltz said matter-of-factly.

"Major Schubaltz, I know this base is going to be attacked. I can feel it, and when I feel something like this, I am never wrong. I don't care if we have to wait an entire week for them to come, when our enemy comes and strikes, we will be ready to fight back."

Karl looked him in the eye before saying slowly, "Major Dramen would like to request access to this base."

"Dramen? What does a monkey like him want with this base?" Rob asked.

"Who's Dramen?" Dr. Dee asked.

"He's this twit who went to the academy with me," Rob said. "He's always been jealous of me because my mother is the President of the Republic, and he thinks that is the only reason why I became a major before him and took over this base that would've gone under his command. He's the type to plunge into battle, kill everyone he doesn't like, even if they are on his side, and leave the scene, no questions asked."

"When he found out that both Republican and Imperial soldiers were at this base, he became most intrigued and decided to pay a visit. He's not the type to mess with. Though he isn't well liked, he is feared and respected for his status. It would be best for us not to irk him in any way," Karl continued as he gave Rob a look.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Major Herman smirked. "I would never try to cause trouble with a man I know is a weak, spineless coward who enjoys striking fear into the hearts of his soldiers just for fun."

Karl glared at him and Dr. Dee laughed.

"Well, it looks like you boys have your work cut out for you with this newcomer. I shall take my leave of your office, Rob. Oh, and Rob?"

"Yes doctor?"

"How is your mother doing? I haven't spoken with her in a long time."

"She is doing well, thank you, Dr. Dee."

"The next time you speak with her, please give her my regards."

Herman smiled as he saluted the doc farewell. "Will do."

"Thanks, Rob."


	4. Chapter 4: Disputes With Dramen

**A/N: CHAPTER FOUR! Cue actual fighting! [And I would also like to thank Jay and Pointytilly for your reviews! :) ]  
**

**Chapter Four**

Shots echoed through the canyons as Irvine blasted the Gordos to the ground. Now, he was just left with three Hell Cats. Irvine skillfully ran up to one and jumped over it, shooting it as the Saix sailed through the air. As the Hell Cat went down, Irvine landed his zoid on the ground and sharply turned to allow the Saix to shoot at the other two Hell Cats. Both zoids got hit, one in the leg, the other in the side, and they instantly turned away as if to run.

"You're not getting away that easily, my little kitties," Irvine smirked as he aimed and fired again. This time, his blast took out the Hell Cat's other good leg, and the one that had been shot in the side when sliding towards the edge of the cliff.

"Irvine!" Moonbay shouted, and Irvine aimed at the edge of the cliff. His firing forced the zoid to be hit again, but at least it didn't go over the edge. Irvine let out a sigh of relief as he checked the stats of the Saix. It had been injured from when Irvine had temporarily lost control, but that was the only damage it had received. Irvine turned to Moonbay.

"Do you think you can fix up the Lightning Saix's damage?"

Moonbay tossed her hair over her shoulder and winked.

"Piece of cake."

Irvine opened up the cockpit, and Moonbay swung herself over the side to the ground below. Walking to the side of the Saix, she opened up the control center and started playing with the wires. Irvine watched her for a bit before coming up beside her. They stood there in silence while Moonbay tampered with the controls, rewiring some of the circuits. Finally she finished and closed up the electrical compartment. Turning to face Irvine, she grinned.

"There, it's all fi-"

She was cut off as Irvine pushed her against the leg of the zoid and kissed her on the lips. They were practically on the verge of making out when Irvine pulled apart and gazed into her eyes.

"I…I like you. I guess a part of me always had, but I never realized it until now. I really like you Moonbay, and I don't want to lose you to anyone or anything again. I…I know that you deserve better than me. You deserve someone like McMann who can provide you with all the wealth and love your heart desires. I can't offer you much except for myself. I know it's not enough and that you deserve better but I hope that maybe…one day…if you would want to, that is…w-we could –"

Irvine was cut off as Moonbay kissed him, sending a surge of heat through his body. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her back and held her close to him as he gingerly licked her lips asking for entrance. As Moonbay French-kissed him, the zoid seemed to roll its would-be eyes as it turned, and began to head for Dragon Head without them.

When they finally broke apart, Moonbay suddenly slapped Irvine leaving a bright red mark on his face.

"Now if you ever go that sappy that it's almost depressing on me again, I'll kill you," Moonbay laughed. "You know I'm not one for the sappy romance, and you are wrong about one thing, Irvine. You _do_ deserve me…there isn't a single man on this planet that I would rather be with than you. I like you a lot too, Irvine."

Irvine gazed into her eyes and immediately felt guilty. "B-but I don't have money or wealth or power or anything to offer you like McMann did."

"Dumbass," Moonbay grinned as she kissed him. "I don't want any of that stuff. All I want is you."

Irvine and Moonbay arrived back at the base in time to see a Pterras land on the base.

"Who's that? It has a Republican insignia on it," Irvine noted.

"Perhaps reinforcements?" Moonbay suggested.

After they had expressed their feelings for one another by Dragon Head, Moonbay had explained to Irvine about how Dragon Head was just a decoy. He hadn't been as mad as she thought he would be, instead he had proceeded to kiss her further, which caused the Lightning Saix to speed up faster than it usually ran. After a few control malfunctions, they had finally arrived back at the Red River Base.

"Nah, it's definitely not reinforcements. They wouldn't be called in unless Herman had definite evidence that we were under attack, which the base clearly is not. It must be somebody new."

"Somebody new?" Moonbay asked as she wondered what that meant.

As they entered the base, they parked the Lightning Saix in a hanger, and began making their way to the main rooms when a voice called out, "Trespassers! State your name and rank if you have any!"

They both turned around and saw a man wearing the Republican major uniform. He had black hair with grey highlights and deep brown eyes. He was a little taller than Irvine with a strong built to him, which gave off an aura of intimidation.

As he grew close to them, he commanded, "I gave you an order, soldier, what is your name and rank?"

Realizing he was talking to him, Irvine spoke up, "The name's Irvine, and this here is Moonbay. We aren't part of your precious army, but were asked by Major Rob Herman to come here and help defend this base from any oncoming attacks. Who the hell are you?"

"Watch your mouth, boy. My name is Major Harry Dramen, and you should learn to respect and obey your superiors."

"Hey, who you calling 'boy'?" Irvine shouted as he lunged forward, but Moonbay held him back as Dramen glared.

"You mercenaries have no respect for the law. You are worse than the dirt on which I stand."

"Excuse me, major," Moonbay said sweetly as she stepped forward. "My name is Moonbay. Irvine and I are good friends of the heroes Van and Fiona Flyheight. We helped destroy the Death Saurer. We happen to be personal friends and allies of Major Herman, so how about showing us some respect?"

Dramen's glare turned to her, but he roughly spun on his heels and began walking away before muttering, "Herman's losing his force of command if he chooses to associate with mercenaries and transporters."

When Dramen had vanished, Irvine kicked the ground sharply. "Damn that guy, who does he think he is? He has no right to speak to my girlfriend that way."

Moonbay blushed profusely at this. "You…you want me to be your girlfriend?"

Irvine blushed as his eyes met hers. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stuttered, "I-if you would w-want to be, that is."

Moonbay beamed at him before jumping at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders and giggling like crazy.

"I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend, Irvine. Now, I don't mind that you are poorer than poor, but you have to be able to provide me with lots of love and attention and shit, okay?"

Irvine smirked at his Moonbay before smiling and stroking her face with his hand. They had decided not to be all lovey-dovey in front of others, for their new-found relationship would remain secretive for now…except to the eyes of Dr. Dee who knew everything.

"I'd like to be your boyfriend, and I suppose that won't be a problem."

"Good, now then we should probably go tell Herman about the stray zoids we saw. They didn't have any pilots, but it doesn't mean somebody didn't send them out after us. I wonder why they were so weak, though."

"Maybe they were just a diversion," Irvine shrugged. "Anyway, let's go tell Herman."

O'Connell watched Irvine and Moonbay from atop a ledge in the hanger with a smile. He despised Dramen, and agreed with Herman. That guy was nothing but trouble. It was nice to see though that Moonbay and Irvine seemed to be a lot closer now, for some reason. Maybe their trip to wherever they had gone had made them realize their feelings for one another. O'Connell had always suspected that the two had a thing for one another, but he never knew if anything would actually blossom out of it.

O'Connell sighed. He sometimes wondered what it would be like to be in love. He had never loved anyone before besides his family. He certainly respected many, but when it came to love, O'Connell was blinder than any. He was a soldier, and soldiers were trained to fight and protect, not love and be weak. But wasn't love stronger than any evil?

Suddenly the captain felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see a beaming Dr. Dee looking down at the young couple below them.

"Ah, young love. There isn't a thing I know about better…well except for my knowledge of the ancient Zoidians and how to create snow."

"Dr. Dee? Have you ever been in love?" O'Connell asked.

Dr. Dee took on a faint smile as he sighed and nodded. "Yes lad, I have been before. There was once this woman who was so beautiful I felt my heart melt every time I thought about her or was near her."

Taking an interest, O'Connell turned to fully face the doctor. "Whatever happened with this woman?"

"She was of a different rank than I. She had her destiny to follow, as I had mine. I suppose the hands of fate didn't want to intertwine my life with hers then. She was truly the one who got away." Dr. Dee looked down at Moonbay who had blushed at something Irvine had said to her as she smacked him. Smiling faintly, the doctor remembered what it was like to be in love.

"Is she still among the living, doc?"

"Hey now, captain, I'm not that old. She stands as we speak the head of a brilliant nation in the making, and her son is a brilliant fighter and soldier. A good man he turned out to be."

"What about her husband?" O'Connell inquired.

"He died in battle defending the Republican cause, and from that moment on she vowed against ever loving again. It is very easy to fall in love, captain, but it is harder when you have to see the one you love perish."

There was a moment of silence before O'Connell whispered, "You should try talking to her about it, doc. Let her know how you feel about her and that if she ever needs somebody to talk to, you will be there for her."

"I have, O'Connell, I have. But she's too afraid of falling in love and getting hurt again," the doctor sighed before he looked up into the captain's eyes with a look of determination and pride in his eyes. "But I will not let her escape me again, captain. I will keep trying to win her heart, no matter how many times she turns me away. For that is what true love is, O'Connell. It's when even after you know you have lost the one you love, you still want to win them back, and you keep trying. She could tell me she hates me and never wants to speak to me again, but as much as it would hurt, I would still go after her. I know I can be a good match for her, and I would provide her with love, humor, romance, and friendship. And I intend to keep trying to prove this to her until she realizes that I am right, and agrees to go on a long-awaited date with me."

O'Connell softened as he let that sweet smile of his take over his face. He had never heard the doctor speak so kindly or passionately about anyone or anything that didn't involve ancient ruins or Zoidian history. It was nice knowing that he still had some human sanity left in him.

Suddenly Dr. Dee laughed loudly and turned as he began almost skipping away.

"You'll find love too, O'Connell, just you wait!"

O'Connell looked down at where Moonbay had shyly taken Irvine's hand in hers, but still held that I'm-the-queen-of-the-world smirk on her face as the two left the hanger.

_Maybe the doc's right. Maybe I will find love some day._

Major Dramen stormed into Rob's office, not even bothering to knock.

"Hello, Herman."

"Dramen," Rob saluted as he kept his voice level. "What brings you to Red River?"

"It reached my attention that you are expecting an attack on this base, and have therefore called in both Imperial and Republican forces," Dramen began as he traced the edge of the chair sitting across from Herman's desk with a finger. "I find it odd that a man as reputed as yourself for having such strong forces here at Red River should seek the help of the Empire."

"I did not 'seek the Empire's help' as you put it, major. I just feel that whoever attacks this base will be stronger than anyone these men have fought in a long time, so if we had the extra men on hand, then it would be beneficial. Besides, since the Guardian Force was established, there is a treaty between the Republic and the Empire –"

"I am quite aware of the treaty, Major Herman. However, I do not think you called in the Empire's forces because you need the extra manpower, but because you as well as your men have slackened off. This base has grown weak under your command, Major Herman, and I have come here to remove you of your command should you be wrong about this attack."

"Oh really? And what makes you so sure that I would just surrender my command of this base to you if I am wrong, major?"

Dramen smirked as he dropped a file onto the desk. "In those papers, you will find I have received full authority to take command of this base from our superiors."

'_No doubt by blackmail or threats,'_ Rob thought to himself as he looked through the file before looking sharply up at his counterpart. "You don't have the Madame President's signature on here."

"Regrettably, you are correct. I still require her signature."

"Well without her signature, this piece of paper means nothing, Dramen. If you get her signature, then come bother me," Rob said harshly as he stood from his desk and walked over to the door which he pulled open with such force that the hinges nearly snapped.

Dramen glared, but didn't let his annoyance disturb his path to victory. "I will get her signature, Major Herman – not even her son can keep her from signing something that should be able to grant me full authority of this base." When he reached the door, Dramen turned to face the major. "Oh, and one more thing…Captain O'Connell is under your command, is he not?"

Rob stiffened at the name. "Yes he is. O'Connell is one of my best soldiers for whom I have great respect for."

Dramen's lip curled as he looked Rob in the eye.

"I would hate to see such a fine soldier demoted back to 'officer' under my command, should he be proven guilty."

"Guilty of what?" Rob asked.

"Consorting with the enemy, Robert. If you don't fully agree with the goals of the Republic and you should be proven to lack what it takes to continue to lead this base, then your top officers will be taken under my wing and demoted to nothing more than a slave's level. Remember that when an attack to this base does not arrive and you lose all respect, rank, and authority." And with that, Dramen left the office, nose upturned.

**A/N: Don't forget to please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Betrayel From Within

**A/N: We have finally reached chapter 5, now just two more chapters to go! I hope you have all enjoyed it so far, and yes I like to keep my chapters short for those of you who are wondering :) And a big big BIG thank you to you wonderful reviewers who keep me writing and bring me joy *tosses out cookies to you all* And now, on to Chapter Five!  
**

**Chapter Five**

Major Dramen smirked as he walked down the hallway outside of Herman's office. That had gone just as he had planned. Everything was working out according to plan. Suddenly he got a call on his cell phone. Not bothering to check the number for he knew he would only be receiving a call from one caller, he answered it.

"Is everything working out?"

Dramen looked around to make sure the halls were empty before whispering, "Everything is going according to plan. Soon Herman will be found guilty, he will be out of the job, and I will take over as the major of Red River Base."

"Excellent. Keep it up, major, and there may be a promotion for you," the voice on the other end replied as they hung up.

Dramen pocketed the phone and continued down the hall, ignoring the turquoise-haired captain who had been hiding in the shadows.

'_He will be taken care of soon enough.'_

Herman looked up as O'Connell barged into his office.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm sorry for coming in unannounced but I was just in the hallway and I overheard…sir? Are you ok?" O'Connell's tone changed as he noticed the look on Herman's face.

The man look aged, the same way he always did whenever he got done with a meeting with somebody he didn't like. Only this time the look was much worse.

"Major, what did that pig say?" O'Connell asked. He was known for his inability to curse often.

Herman just sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I need another massage, O'Connell."

O'Connell smiled as he walked over and stood behind the major. As he started to rub his shoulders, O'Connell told Herman what he had heard Dramen say in the hallway.

Suddenly Herman sprung up so fast O'Connell jumped back feet away from him.

"O'Connell, do you realize what this means? This means that Dramen is dirty! He's obviously working for some unknown enemy, and he really is just after my job! He doesn't care a thing about this base, he just wants to take over and ruin me! Oh, I can't wait to get the Madame President on the line and tell her about this."

Before Herman could leave the room, Irvine and Moonbay suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt Herman, but you'll never guess what happened to us!" Irvine began as he retold the events near Dragon Head, making sure to leave out all the sappy love stuff.

Herman's face burst into a triumphant smile. "Do you realize what this means? This means that somebody is in fact planning on attacking, and that I was right! Now Dramen will never be able to take over this base!" Herman made his way quickly to the door before he stopped and turned to face O'Connell.

"O'Connell? Thanks for your help."

Herman left the room before he could see O'Connell smile sadly. O'Connell patted the major's empty chair fondly as he sighed.

"No problem, major. I just wish I could help you more."

Major Herman was practically running as he raced down the halls, officers jumping out of his way. When Herman was in a rush, everyone knew better than to stand in his way. Everyone except Irvine. As the major rounded a corner, he crashed into the ex-mercenary.

"Major! You were in such a hurry you didn't tell us where you were going!"

"I need to get to the center control station. I need to contact the Madame President immediately with the news!" Herman shouted as he helped himself up and continued to race off down the hallway.

Irvine rolled his eyes when suddenly he saw that Dramen guy quickly going the opposite way as the major had gone. Deciding to follow him, Irvine kept to the shadows and the indents in the walls to hide himself from view. Luckily, Dramen didn't seem too keen to notice Irvine's presence, for the major didn't once turn around. He just continued hastily on his way.

'_It looks like he's heading for Major Herman's office,'_ Irvine thought as he tracked Dramen's path.

As Dramen entered the office, Irvine was about to follow him in when he heard Dramen speak.

"What are you doing in Major Herman's office?"

"I could ask you the same question," O'Connell replied curtly. "I was just with the major, and I got lost in some thoughts and hadn't had the opportunity to leave yet."

"If you ask me, captain, I would say you were up to no good. Waiting for the chance to go through Major Herman's files, perhaps? Or maybe you were looking to sabotage him…"

"That's crazy! Every man around here knows how devoted I am to Major Herman! I would never think of betraying him, unlike you, you _cowardly swine_!"

Irvine rolled his eyes. Sure O'Connell was a captain and a great fighter, but he was also a big softie who would never even think of using foul language. Thank goodness Moonbay had left the office when Irvine did, or she would've used the right language towards Dramen.

"You dare to speak disrespect towards my name? I am Major Harry Dramen, and soon I will be the commanding officer of this base once the Madame President learns of the disgrace and corruption Herman has brought to this base."

"You're insane! The Madame President will never believe you! She would never believe her son to be guilty of betraying the Republic!" O'Connell shouted and Irvine couldn't help but feel a little pride at the man's courage.

"She will once I show her the evidence," Dramen said.

"What evidence? You don't have anything to prove your statements!"

"On the contrary captain, there is a secret recording system I had secretly installed by some of my men who worked for Herman from the inside. The recording system records everything the major has said in the past six months. If I can rearrange some of the wording, I'm sure I can put together a false statement by the major."

"I will never let you get away with this," O'Connell said defensively as he moved to block the desk from Dramen.

Dramen laughed suddenly as Irvine heard him draw a weapon from his back pocket.

"Such a shame it will be when I inform the Madame President that Captain O'Connell of Red River Base has been found guilty as well."

Taking this as his cue, Irvine was about ready to break down the door which Dramen had locked when suddenly he was struck on the back of the head. As Irvine fell into unconsciousness, one of Dramen's lackeys picked up the man and quickly threw him into a cleaning cart where he covered Irvine with some dirty sheets. The lackey made his way away from the major's office as a silenced gunshot sparked in the office.


	6. Chapter 6: The Accused and the Jailed

**A/N: Chapter Six! Here we go!  
**

**Chapter Six**

Herman made it to the control station just in time for one of the workers at the many computers to turn to him and shout, "Major, the command systems of all of our zoids have mysteriously frozen. It's as if somebody sent some sort of electrical pulse current over the base. But it's just the Republican zoids that have malfunctioned, sir. The Imperial zoids are fine!"

"Do we have communications open with the Madame President?" Herman asked as he made his way to the newly constructed platform at the center of the rounded room where he could survey all of the workers below him.

"No sir, the lines are temporarily down as well," another officer replied as she taped at the keys to her computer.

'_This is Dramen's doing, I'm sure of it,'_ Herman thought as he tried to come up with a different plan.

"Having some trouble with your zoids, I've noticed," Major Karl Shubaltz speculated as he suddenly appeared in the room.

Herman spun around and faced him.

"Karl, do you have communications with Guygolos? I need to contact the Madame President but all lines to New Helic City are down."

Karl shook his head sadly. "Regrettably, we just received a whole new shipment of radios from Emperor Rudolph, but my men haven't had much luck putting the radios together in time. If only we had somebody to help us with the machines."

"Maybe I can help you boys, for a price of course."

Herman and Karl looked as Moonbay smiled with a wink. "I may not know much about radios, but I can give it my best shot. How fast do you need a radio by?"

"I need one now," Herman said forcefully as he turned back to the officers below him who were looking up at him with apprehension.

"Listen up! I need somebody to fetch this girl an Imperial radio that she can try to fix now! Gaining contact with the Madame President is the number one goal right now!"

"Rob, what's going on?" Karl whispered as he grabbed the blonde's arm when suddenly the doors of the command station opened, and Major Dramen stepped in.

"Major Robert Herman of Red River Base. You are under arrest for the betrayal of the Republican cause to the Empire. Over the last few months, a hidden disk has recorded your voice making deals and arrangements with the enemy for this base to be attacked today. It is with great remorse that I strip you of your command, and take over as major over this base!" Dramen's voice was filled with triumph as he kept his emotions level, so that it looked like he actually was sorry for what he was doing.

"That's insane!" Herman shouted at him. "I have never betrayed the Republic in my entire life!"

Dramen turned to one of the ten men or so that stood behind him ready to back him up, and told the man to write Herman's statement down on record. Turning back to face Herman, Dramen glared at him as he held up a tape with a microphone attached to it. As Dramen hit a button, Herman's voice filled the room.

"I understand your requests, Major Shubaltz, and I will supply you and your men with several of my zoids as well as technology. You can count on Red River Base to support you and your efforts to restore Emperor Rudolph to the throne of Planet Zi. I will set up a false attack on this base, where you and your men will have the opportunity to come in, and take over this base as Imperial territory." Dramen shut off the tape, and Karl rounded on him instantly.

"I never received such a conversation from Major Herman! Not once has he ever agreed to help the Empire unless it was under a treaty or with good cause to both nations!"

"I have also recorded conversations of your secret dealings with the criminal known as Hiltz, Major Shubaltz. I arrest you both in the name of the Republic and the Madame President," Dramen said as he signaled for his men to step forward, when suddenly Moonbay stepped in-between the men.

"Now I don't really know you all that well, but I know you have put a serious thorn in my side, and it's really starting to piss me off. Now this whole idea of Herman being dirty against the Republic is crazy! That tape is probably a fake one, anyway! With the technology today, it wouldn't be that hard for you to –"

"It is my understanding that you are a transporter, are you not?" Dramen interrupted. "You have stayed at this base longer than your usual records have shown. I must inquire what makes you stay here?"

"I am a transporter, as you say. I go where there is money involved, and where I can make the highest payment for the job that suits me. Major Herman asked me and Irvine to come down here, and though I still am not sure exactly why, we came here as friends to him until we were attacked by sleeper zoids going to check out Dragon Head."

"You say that you were attacked by sleeper zoids…well how can that be? There isn't any desert around here for at least a few miles, and this base should have been able to pick up any stray zoids in the area. Major Herman, you were planning on asking this girl to transport some ammunition to an Imperial base, were you not?"

"I was indeed going to ask Moonbay to transport some artillery to Karl's base, but it's not because I want to help the Empire, it's because I wanted to make up for the ammunition they lost when we blew up their base a few months ago. They lost several hundred barrels of explosives, and since there has been a treaty between the Empire and the Republic, I just thought that maybe a little peaceful exchange of goods would be good for the Republic. I would never –"

"Quiet, I have heard enough. Men, arrest Majors Herman and Shubaltz, as well as the transporter girl, and take them to the holding cells. I will contact the Madame President and inform her of what has happened."

"Good luck with that, the lines are down," Moonbay sniffed. "You won't be able to contact her."

"Good thing I carry my cell phone with a direct link to New Helic City at all times," Dramen beamed as he sent out the call.

Karl looked at Herman as Dramen's men cuffed them and led them out of the room. Herman just sighed and shrugged.

"We have no choice but to wait and hear what the Madame President says."

x.x.x

When Irvine woke up, he found himself lying on one of the cots in the jail cells beneath the base. Turning over onto his side, he looked out through the bars and saw a familiar turquoise head of hair lying on a cot in the opposite cell.

"O'Connell, you ok?" Irvine called out to the man, but when he didn't get a response, Irvine stood up and made his way over to the bars. Gripping the bars, he called out again to the captain, but the man didn't respond.

Suddenly Irvine heard footsteps and watched as Herman, Shubaltz the older, and Moonbay were led into different cells.

"They got you too, huh?" Irvine asked as Moonbay stepped into the same cell as him.

"Yeah, Dramen is nothing but a scumbag, just like we thought," Moonbay sighed as she sat down and rested her head against the wall, closing her eyes. "What do we do now?"

Irvine opened his mouth to respond when suddenly Herman shouted, "O'Connell! Are you alright? Answer me, that's an order!"

"Relax, major, he's not dead," Irvine said calmly as he went to lie back down on the bed. The walls between the cells had been replaced with bars, so Herman could clearly see Irvine lay down from where he stood in the jail cell to the right.

"What do you mean? Why is he not responding then?" Herman asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Irvine folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes as he said, "Dramen probably shot him with a stun gun or something. If he was shot, there would be blood all over the cot, and he wouldn't be breathing. He was probably just electrocuted or knocked out."

Herman couldn't help the sigh of relief as he looked out at his unmoving friend. Karl couldn't help but chuckle.

"Worried you lost your favorite pet, Rob?"

"He isn't a pet, he is the best damn officer this base has ever seen, and the minute I get out of here, I'm promoting him," Herman said with pride as his eyes remained locked on O'Connell.

Karl smirked as he tilted his hat to cover his eyes.

"Well if all we can do is sit around waiting, I think I might take a little nap."

"How can you nap at a time like this? The both of you should be helping me come up with a plan for escape!" Herman exclaimed as he looked from Karl to Irvine.

"Keep your cool, major. We still have one ally on the outside who is still in the base," Moonbay smiled as she looked up at Herman.

Irvine opened up an eyelid as Karl raised his head. Herman looked at her.

"And just who might that be?"

Moonbay giggled.

"Your mom's secret boyfriend in the making."

x.x.x

Dr. Dee wasted no time in making his way to the hanger where the zoids were kept. As soon as he had seen Herman running down the halls like a maniac, he knew that it had something to do with Dramen. Fearing the worst, Dr. Dee climbed into Moonbay's Gustav where he had overridden the command system with some secret tricks up his sleeve.

Quickly he started up the zoid and sped the hell out of there, both Republican and Imperial soldiers diving out of the way to avoid the speeding Gustav.

'_If I can only get out of range of whatever signal-jammer is causing the communications to be shot, then I can contact the Madame President, tell her the truth of what is going on, and maybe get a kiss in the end,'_ Dr. Dee smiled to himself as he broke through the barriers of the hanger, as the alarms sounded behind him. Quickly heading away from the base, Dr. Dee taped in some controls when the Gustav made a noise from around him.

"Oh be quiet, I know I'm not Moonbay. Do I look like her to you?" Dr. Dee snapped at the zoid as he struggled with the zoid. "Now you just get us out of here, Gustav, and I will make a call that will free your pilot and save Major Herman."

The Gustav seemed to deem the doctor insane but trustable, and steered them away from the base as Dr. Dee managed to patch through to New Helic City.

"This is the Madame President of the Helic Republic. Who may I ask is calling, and what is your position?"

"Madame President, it's me," Dr. Dee shouted as he could hear zoids approaching. Bringing up the grid, he saw that three Command Wolves and two Pterases were quickly gaining on him. "I'm about to be attacked, but I need to let you know – have you heard from a guy called Dramen yet?"

"Yes, I just spoke with him, and I must say I am shocked to hear about Rob…Major Herman's betrayal, but the evidence is against him in this case –"

"Never mind that, your son is innocent! Dramen is the dirty one! Madame President, I need you to send reinforcements to Red River Base! I repeat, send reinforcements immediately, Major Dramen is guilty of treason –" Dr. Dee was cut off as the Command Wolves and the Pterases fired shots at the Gustav, which Dr. Dee couldn't avoid. As the Gustav was hit, the command system began to freeze as contact with the Madame Pres. was cut off.

"Madame President, if you can hear me, I repeat again, I need help, the base needs reinforcements, and Dramen is –" Dr. Dee couldn't finish his sentence for it was at that moment that the enemy zoids opened fire on him.

x.x.x

As the sirens signaling that one of the zoids had escaped sounded throughout the base, Moonbay smiled at the men.

"You hear that, boys? That's the sound of the doc escaping out of here to go get help."

"Go get help? I wouldn't be surprised if he was halfway on his way to join Van and Fiona on vacation," Irvine muttered.

Moonbay suddenly stood up, walked over, grabbed Irvine by the shirt, and glared into his eyes.

"Do you see that man right there?" she asked as she pointed at Herman. Not waiting for Irvine to respond she shouted, "He is the son of the Madame President, who happens to have been Dr. Dee's love interest for several years now! The doc won't just abandon the son of his future girlfriend! Would you abandon me if you had the chance to escape?"

Irvine looked away as he sighed. "No, I wouldn't."

"Just as I thought," Moonbay snapped as she shoved him roughly against the cot and walked over to the bars where she looked out at O'Connell. "He still hasn't moved yet. Do you really think he's ok?" she whispered in a softer, more concerned voice.

"O'Connell is strong…probably far stronger than me. He has helped me out in far worse situations, and he has always made it out with his head held high. He's a fighter, that O'Connell. If anybody could make it through a shot from a stun gun by Dramen, it's him," Herman said proudly as he gripped the bars to look out at his captain. "I just wish I had told him how much his loyalty means to me. He was the one who told me in the first place about Dramen, and I hardly thanked him. He has always stood up for me, and I've let him down. It's my fault he's lying there," Herman's voice broke a little.

"Don't beat yourself up," Karl said gently as he stood up and put a hand on Herman's shoulder. "You will have plenty of opportunities to tell him once we get out of here."

"Shut up, all of you," Irvine snapped as he sat up instantly. "You hear that?"

Nobody spoke as silence filled the cells before another set of sirens began ringing.

"What's with those sirens?" Moonbay asked.

"Those sirens signify that Dramen has probably caught the doc," Irvine said as he quickly made his way to the bars. "This is the perfect opportunity to break free."

Reaching up to his eye patch, Irvine removed a wad of what looked like explosives and a small bullet-sized object from the eye patch. Handing the stuff over to Herman, he told the major, "Apply that stuff to the lock, and it will make the lock explode and break. After that all you have to do is kick down the door."

"Not that trick again," Moonbay rolled her eyes, and Irvine shot her a look.

"What about you?" Herman asked as he took the explosives.

"I only have enough to break one of us out, and it might as well be you and Shubaltz there. You two are majors, and have the authority to kick Dramen's ass without getting in trouble," Irvine explained.

Herman smiled at him and nodded as he quickly applied the explosives, pulled the string, and broke the lock.

"You would think you would've come up with a better trick by now," Moonbay said to Irvine as Herman kicked open the door to his cell.

Irvine just smirked as he turned to Herman.

"Now you two go hurry up and save your base."

Herman and Karl nodded and started to make their way out of the cells, when Herman cast O'Connell a glance.

"I swear to you, O'Connell, I will not let you die because of me. I will avenge you, and help you as soon as I get back. Just don't die on me before then."

O'Connell didn't say anything, but Herman was sure he caught a faint smile overcome the barely breathing captain's face.


	7. Chapter 7: The End or a New Beginning?

**A/N: Wow guys, can you believe its chapter 7 already? Thank you all for your reviews, it means a lot to me and will hopefully help my writing. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it...until next time!  
**

**Chapter Seven: The Ending of a New Beginning**

Major Dramen couldn't help but smile as he stood on the platform in the center of the control room of the Red River Base. He had done it. He had played the tape over his cell phone to the Madame President, and had lied to the leader of the Republic…and it had paid off. Now he was major of the base, Herman was in jail, and everything was right with the world. That was before the alarms went off and he found out that that meddlesome doctor had overridden the command system freeze and had escaped using that girl's zoid.

"All units prepare for an attack! He must be stopped before he can escape and make contact!" Dramen shouted. "I want all zoids after him immediately!"

"Sir, we can't send any of the zoids except for a few Command Wolves and Pterases which haven't been installed with their full command systems yet. Their systems are still a little bit rocky, but they are the only zoids we have that weren't hit by the command freeze."

"Send them, then, just make sure that Gustav doesn't get away! Tell the pilots to use basic weapons, ones that the zoids can fire without having all the necessary advanced skills for firing," Dramen shouted as the officers raced to follow orders. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. Everything was going so perfectly, he couldn't let a simple old man ruin everything for him.

As an image of the Gustav appeared on the screen, Dramen watched as the zoids fired upon the unarmed Gustav. A cloud of smoke from all the firepower rose up around the zoid, and Dramen waited, gripping the sides of the platform as he watched the smoke clear.

The Gustav was unharmed.

Slowly the cockpit opened up and Dr. Dee stood up coughing before flipping off the zoids with that laugh of his echoing over the video.

Dramen slammed his fist against the platform as he cursed the old man.

"How the hell could that zoid have been protected from all that firepower?" Dramen shouted.

"Quite simply, actually. Moonbay's Gustav was enhanced with a shield that protects it from basic attacks. All thanks to the doctor whom you just tried to kill," Major Rob Herman proclaimed as he stood in the doorway with Major Schubaltz smirking beside him. "Although I'm sure that shield won't be functional now, but at least it was able to withstand basic attacks for the time being. Major Dramen, _I_ arrest _you_ in the name of the Helic Republic for attempted murder, treason, kidnapping, and trying to overthrow my command."

Major Dramen looked on the verge of losing it.

"You can't arrest me! You have no proof! I have the tapes, I have already called the Madame President, and I have command over this base!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Major Dramen, but you do not have command over the Red River Base anymore," a voice announced.

Slowly Dramen turned around as the face of the Madame President filled the main screen.

"I had some of my scientists trace the signal that had frozen the command systems on the zoids, and I discovered that the signal was being emitted from your very own zoid. It appears to me, major, that _you_ froze the command of the republican zoids to make it look as if Major Herman was indeed helping to sell out the base to the Empire."

"No, no, Madame President, that isn't true!" Dramen stuttered, but the Madame Pres. raised a hand for him to be quiet.

"Major Herman will read you your rights, and I expect to receive a copy of the tapes which you have so conveniently tampered with."

"YOU WILL NEVER CAPTURE ME!" Dramen screamed as suddenly he pulled out a remote from his back pocket. "There is a bomb strapped to Captain O'Connell which I had my men attach as soon as you two escaped from your cell. If any of you so much as make a move to stop me, I will press this button, and the base will be blown to bits. If I can't be major of this base, then nobody will!"

'_He's insane,'_ Herman thought as he gritted his teeth as he thought of O'Connell lying there, with no idea what was going on, with a bomb strapped to him. It was this thought that drove the major to nearly rush at Dramen until Karl grabbed him and held him back.

"Do you want O'Connell to die? If not then stand your ground," Major Shubaltz hissed at him.

Herman glared daggers at Dramen when suddenly a gun went off, and Dramen's eyes grew wide as an electrical current flew out and hit the major in the back. As Dramen's body spazzed, he dropped the remote, which Karl dove for and caught before the button could hit the ground. All eyes turned to where O'Connell stood below the platform holding a stun gun in his shaking hands. From where he stood, Herman could see the bomb strapped to his chest.

"O'Connell, don't move!" Herman shouted at him as the major ran to the platform and jumped over the side, landing on the lower level where O'Connell stood.

"How did you escape?" Herman asked as he studied the bomb.

"Yo," Irvine called out with a two-fingered wave from where he and Moonbay stood in the other doorway.

"I'll explain later, just please…Rob…" O'Connell's voice trailed off as he looked up into Herman's eyes. For the first time, Herman saw real fear in his favorite captain's eyes.

"We have to get this thing off of you," Herman said as he fumbled with the controls.

"There's no time," O'Connell replied, his voice choking up. "It's a time bomb, Rob. I've got roughly six minutes."

Herman's eyes met his subordinate's and he felt his heart miss a beat.

O'Connell wouldn't make it.

"We need a bomb specialist!" Herman shouted out.

"Major, we don't have one here at the base! None of the specialists are trained in dealing with time bombs," one of the petty officers spoke up sadly.

Herman's eyes looked back at O'Connell when suddenly a voice exclaimed, "Let me try."

All eyes turned and looked at Moonbay.

"I may have never worked with a bomb before, but I have dealt with enough mechanics in zoids to figure out how the wiring is done. If I can just disable the correct wire, then the bomb will be disarmed."

"Rob, you need to get O'Connell out of here, just in case Moonbay can't do it," Karl said heavily.

Herman nodded at him and turned to face Moonbay.

"Are you sure you can take care of this?"

"I can try my best," Moonbay said.

Herman nodded at her and as she started to escort O'Connell out of there, Herman began to follow before Karl held him back.

"Rob, you can't go as well. If you go, there will be no one to command this base should you perish, and Dramen is still alive. He can still become major of this base if you go with them."

Herman looked from Shubaltz to O'Connell, and the captain smiled sadly.

"I won't let you down, major," O'Connell whispered.

Herman clenched his fist as he saluted O'Connell with his free hand.

"I know you won't, captain."

O'Connell saluted back, and he and Moonbay rushed from the room, with Irvine quickly following them.

"We'll take the Lightning Saix, it will get us away faster," Irvine shouted as they ran to the hanger.

"No, Irvine, I can't let you come with us –" Moonbay was cut off as Irvine's eyes pierced hers.

"I'm not letting you die alone, 'Bay. Besides, you need me, and I promised you I wouldn't leave you again."

Moonbay just looked at him before nodding and climbing into the Saix. As she helped O'Connell climb up as well, she asked Irvine, "Do you think we will all fit in this zoid?"

Irvine shrugged as he climbed into the cockpit as well and started up the controls before launching the zoid out of the hanger and base.

"Don't know, but we will have to find out."

x.x.x

Herman watched as the image of the Madame President was replaced with an image of the inside of the Lightning Saix's cockpit. He didn't turn around as Dr. Dee came up behind him, holding Dramen's cell phone to his ear.

"Moonbay, I know more about time bombs than you. If you can explain to me the wiring over the phone, then I can help you defuse it," Dr. Dee said once Moonbay had answered her cell.

"Ok…just give me a minute…" Moonbay breathed as she examined the bomb. O'Connell was practically on her lap, much to the annoyance of Irvine. "Ok, it's a strap-on with a timer screen and five wires. One is purple, one blue, one red, one green, and the last wire is yellow. What do I do?"

"Ok…do you have wire cutters or something to cut the wire with?" Dr. Dee asked.

"Umm…about that…" Moonbay started when Irvine reached into his pocket and tossed her a pocketknife.

"There, that should work fine," he said as he sped the zoid away from the base.

"Good, now are all the wires connected to the same circuit?" Dr. Dee asked.

"Umm…all of them except for the purple and yellow wires. They are connected in the back of the bomb," Moonbay voiced as she looked the bomb over.

O'Connell looked ready to pass out.

"Cut the yellow wire," Dr. Dee said after a dramatic pause.

"How do you know, doc?" Herman asked as he faced him. "O'Connell is my best officer, if you are wrong…"

"What is your least favorite color?" Dr. Dee retorted.

"Yellow," Herman said shortly.

"Dramen set this bomb up, which means he would pick your least favorite color to naturally be the wire to defuse the bomb. Moonbay cut the yellow wire."

Moonbay took a deep breath as she sharply drew the blade across the yellow wire, cutting the wire in half. Looking at the timer on the screen, she watched as the timer froze with a minute to go.

Moonbay let out a cheer as Irvine smiled from the front.

'_The crazy doc was right.'_

x.x.x_  
_

Inside the base, officers of both the Republic and the Empire cheered at the success. Herman genuinely smiled, and he clapped Dr. Dee on the shoulder.

"I knew there was going to be an attack on this base. I just never thought that it would be from the inside. Remind me to put a good word in to my mother about you," Herman laughed.

Dr. Dee blushed a little and twiddled his thumbs as he grinned.

"Actually Rob, I had no idea that Dramen would've made the wire your least favorite color. It was just an idea I came up with on the spot that I thought would work."

Herman's eyes grew wide as his mouth hung open and Dr. Dee laughed nervously as he said, "You still will put a good word in with your mom for me, won't ya?"

Herman just nodded like a gaping fish and Dr. Dee walked away humming to himself.

"I am the….savior…of the wasteland…I never know just where the unknown road will take me…"

Moonbay looked at Irvine with a puzzled expression.

"Wait, but what about those sleeper zoids who attacked us before? Dramen said that they weren't sent by him."

"They must've had some kind of wiring like Hell Cats do where they are undetectable to the sensors," Irvine explained as he looked around. "But Dramen said that he didn't know about the sleeper zoids, so I wonder who could've been controlling them…"

x.x.x

Van, Fiona, and Zeke arrived at the base just in time to see several officers of both nations shooting streamers from the cannons of their zoids as balloons and noise makers sounded throughout the base.

"What did we miss?" Van asked as he looked around.

x.x.x

From where he stood on a nearby cliff, Hiltz threw the cell phone he had been using to communicate with Dramen with over the side of the cliff into the river.

"Well that was a waste of my time, eh, Ambient?" Hiltz asked his organoid as the sleeper zoids he had been controlling groaned from the shadows of the canyons below. "Oh well, there's always tomorrow…"


End file.
